Coin-controlled machine.



L. D. BROUGHTON & A. N. LATTIN.

COIN CONTROLLED MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1909.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Hal.

ANDREW B GRAHAM cow PHOTO-LATHOGRMHERS. w/xsmnfiwm n c LYMAN DAVID BROUGHTON AND ALBERT N. LATTIN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO UNDERWOOD AUTOMATIC TYIE'WR/ITER PAY STATION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COIN-CONTROLLED MACHINE.

Application filed June 8, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LYMAN D. BROUGH- TON and ALBERT N. LATTIN, both citizens of the United States, and residing in the city of Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coin-operated devices, such for instance as shown in application No. 451,391, filed Sept. 2, 1908, in which a typewriting machine is provided with a coin-released lock and other mechanism contained in a casing, for determining the extent to which the typewriting machine may be used after the deposit of a coin. The casing which contains the coin-operated mechanism and clockwork is usually open on one side and provided with a cover having a look. It is necessary to unlock and remove the cover from time to time to permit inspection and adjustment or repair of the mechanism in the casing.

The principal object of the present invention is to make it practicable to permit a mechanic to open the casing for inspection and repair, without at the same time giving him access to any coins that may have been deposited in the casing by users of the machine. To this end, the cover of the casing is provided with a closed pocket into which the coins are conducted. This pocket is closed by an internal panel provided with lock and key, the key of course being held only by the collector. Thus the casing is locked against access to the user of the machine, while a mechanic may have a key to open the casing, and the collector may have one key to open the casing and another key to open the pocket. Means are also provided to prevent abstraction of coins from the pocket.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective interior view of one wall of the pocket consisting of a removable panel. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the casing, cover and pocket, the latter provided with the panel seen at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken at about the line 00 of Fig. 2, to illustrate the method of locking the panel to the pocket; the lock, casing, bolt and key being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of one corner Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1910.

Serial No. 500,865.

of the pocket-closing panel, illustrating the movement of an inserted coin past the baffle. A casing in the form of a box having a bottom 1, top 2, opposite sides 3 and back (not shown) all usually cast in one piece, is provided with a front cover 1 usually of cast metal and fitting in a depression 5 formed all around the edges of the casing.

In the casing is a mechanism represented by 6, which controls the operation of the typewriting machine. A coin 7 is deposited in a slot 8 in the top of the casing, falls within a tubular member 9, and rests upon a ledge 10 provided upon a member 11 pivoted at 12. By suitable manipulation, the coin is permitted to fall upon an incline 13, from which it drops upon a chute 14:. The coin descends along the chute and passes through an opening 15 into a pocket formed upon the cover A and consisting of a bottom 16, top 17 opposite sides 18 and a front 19. The coin which slides upon its face down the chute 14:. and through the opening 15, drops edge foremost into a chute 20 within the pocket and rolls down the inclined floor 21 of said chute, and is thereby discharged upon the floor of the pocket. The chute 20 is relatively narrow, so that its sides may support the coin against falling sidewise. A gravity baffle is provided in the form of a pawl 22 pivoted at 23 Within the chute 20, in such a manner that the coin may run freely past the same when entering the pocket, as at Fig. 4, but so that the coin cannot pass the baflle in the reverse direction; said baflie having a finger 24 playing in a depression 25 formed in the back wall of the chute 20 and adapted to engage the side edge 26 of said depression upon any attempt to swing it toward the left at Fig. 4; and when the ba'flie is in such position, the space between it and the floor 21 of the chute is too small to permit the passage of the coin. The chutes 14 and 20 may be formed of a single piece of sheet metal, as shown, and a rivet 27 may secure it at one end; the other end resting upon a lip 28 formed by bending back a portion of the metal to produce the opening 15. The cover 4 is secured in place on the casing by the cooperation of a tongue 29 fitting in a reoess 30 in the bottom of the casing, and the. bolt 31 of a lock 32 catching behind a lug or ledge 33 formed on the under side of the top of the casing. Said lock may be provided with a mechanics key 34. When unlocked, the cover may be readily tipped forwardly and the tongue 29 lifted out of the recess 30 and the cover withdrawn bodily from the casing. Said coin pocket 1619 is closed upon its rear side by an internal panel 35, to the front face of which is secured the coin chute 20, already described. Said panel fits in a depression 36 formed around the edges of the pocket; and one end has a tongue 37 to engage in a depression 38 formed in one of the sides 18 of the pocket. At the other end of the panel is a lock 39 operated by a key 40 and having a bolt 41 to catch over a lug or ledge 42 formed on the end of the pocket opposite the tongue 37. This lock 38 is accessible only from the inner side of the cover 4, and hence it is inaccessible to the user of the machine or to the general public. The key 34 does not fit the lock 39, so that the mechanic can have no access to the interior of the coin-receiving pocket. Thus the mechanic or inspector may make frequent examinations of the mechanism in the main casing without the necessity of the attendance of a collector; and the latter may make collections only at relatively infrequent intervals. It will be seen that the tongue 29 may be conveniently secured by screws 43 upon the rear side of the panel 35. The collector may have a key 34 to unlock the cover 4, and upon detaching the same from the casing may employ the key 40 to withdraw the bolt 41, thus unlocking the panel 35, and permitting one end thereof to be swung away and the tongue 37 to be withdrawn, thus giving access to the interior of the coin pocket.

Other kinds of locks may be employed, such for instance as safe locks or permutation locks or time locks; and in the claims the term lock is employed as meaning only those locks which are employed to prevent access to the interior of the device by an unauthorized person.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a coin-operated apparatus, the combination of a casing having a cover provided with a lock to fasten it to the casing, means in said casing to receive a coin, a pocket being provided in said cover, an internal panel on said cover to close said pocket, means being provided to conduct the'coin into said pocket, and a lock on said panel to secure it to the cover.

2. In a coin-operated apparatus, the combination of a casing having a cover provided with a lock to fasten it to the casing, said cover provided with a closed pocket and said pocket having means whereby it may be opened and closed, a lock to secure the cover to the casing, means accessible only from the inside of the cover to lock up the pocket, and means for conducting coins into said pocket.

3. In a coin-operated apparatus, the combination of a casing having a cover provided with a lock to fasten it to the casing, said cover provided with a closed pocket and said pocket having means whereby it may be opened and closed, a lock to secure the cover to the casing, means accessible only from the inside of the cover to lock up the pocket, and a battle to prevent abstracting coins from the pocket.

4. In a coin-operated apparatus, the combination of a casing having a cover provided with a lock to fasten it to the casing, said cover provided with a closed pocket and said pocket having means whereby it may be opened and closed, a lock to secure the cover to the casing, means accessible only from the inside of the cover to lock up the pocket; an opening being provided to permit passage of a coin from said casing into said pocket, a coin chute in said pocket communicating with said opening, and a baffle in said chute to prevent the abstraction of a coin.

5. In a coin-operated apparatus, the combination with a casing open at one side, of a cover fitting in a depression in the edges of said casing, said cover provided with a lock and also with a coin-receiving pocket, and having an interior panel to close said pocket, said panel fitting in a depression in said cover, a lock on said panel to lock up said pocket, said lock having a bolt to catch behind a lug provided in one end of the cover, and a tongue upon the opposite end of the panel to catch in a recess provided in the wall of the pocket.

6. In a coin-operated apparatus, the combination with a casing open at one side, of a cover fitting in a depression in the edges of said casing, said cover provided with a coin-receiving pocket, and having an inte rior panel to close said pocket, said panel fit ting in a depression in said cover, a lock on said panel to lock up said pocket, said lock having a bolt to catch behind a lug provided in one end of the cover, a tongue upon the opposite end of the panel to catch in a recess provided in the wall of the pocket, a tongue upon the bottom of said cover to catch in a recess provided in the bottom of the casing, and a lock on the top of said cover and having a bolt to catch behind a lug provided on the top of the casing.

LYIVIAN DAVID BBOUGHTON. ALBERT N. LATTIN. Witnesses:

W. M. BYORKMAN, MORTON C. TALCOTT. 

